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Don't worry about being great! Just be great at showing everyone they matter, are welcome and are loved.

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• I wonder if you have a story or experience like this you'd like to share?
• I wonder if there are other stories in the Bible like this?

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• I wonder whether the disciples were silent because they were confused, trying to process what Jesus was meaning.  Perhaps they were wondering why Jesus was implying their thinking was mixed up. I wonder whether some were asking themselves - wasn't it 'fair' that one disciple over another should get more glory.
• I wonder whether the disciples were silent because they were confused, trying to process what Jesus was meaning.  Perhaps they were wondering why Jesus was implying their thinking was mixed up.
• I wonder whether some were asking themselves - wasn't it 'fair' that one disciple over another should get more glory?
• I wonder who else was there, and what they were thinking?
• I wonder how long the silence went on for. Just how much did Jesus let them stew through those feelings before hitting them with the teaching about servanthood?
• I wonder if some disciples thought that they where the greatest, or perhaps the least?
• I wonder why we are often in the same situation ... even with the benefit of hindsight?
• I wonder why the disciples weren't getting this right? How many times would Jesus have to show them, teach them, train them?
• Wondering what will happen/ be said next?

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• v37 - how we treat other people is so important. It's linked to how we treat Jesus

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Did you know the concept of serving others and humility that's now common place in western culture actually comes from the Bible?

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Guess how much Jesus cares about children!? A lot!!

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significance of Jesus sitting first? vs asking them to sit and standing over them. placed himself lower/equal

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If this is true, who do I interact with or pass by that I need to be looking out for and serving?

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Jesus spoke to them

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Jesus:
• ok, teachable moment! All sorts of thoughts: Prayerful, discerning, choosing the moment, the style, the visual????
Disciples:
• Confusion, disbelief, not wanting to accept, shame
• Hmmm, servants doesn't sound very important! What kind of following is this? Do i really want to be here..?
• Surprise; a kind of insightful call-out, perspective changed
• Shame? called out? aghast at this counter cultural approach? (Normal correction harsher?)

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Jesus
• sat
• called over the disciples
• spoke one sentence

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• guilty … oops, sprung!  in trouble now!
• unsure how to respond, embarrassed, worried about it being petty, worried about the response if answered, angry about people considering themselves better, anoyed about being caught
• shame from the disciples
• Busted, feelings of shame, tail between their legs.
• Ashamed? They knew arguing about who was best is not what Jesus would have done.
• Perhaps wondering if Jesus would give an answer... who Jesus thought was the greatest?
• Disciples perhaps each hoping that Jesus would back them up / justify their claim
• Feeling resentful of the others
• Perhaps each hoping that Jesus would back them up / justify their claim
• Disciples had feelings of superiority

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Disciples:
• silence
• Disciples had argued
• argued, disagreed, silent
• No-one spoke, all thinking, and Jesus let the silence be

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Thoughts/Emotions: Disciples:
• maybe grumpy/cranky … longer, faster walk than normal in order to get back to base?
• 3 disciples were with Jesus on the Mountain top … saw transfiguration … a superior attitude?
• They may have thought that they were 'sprung' by Jesus in regards to their thoughts
• Tired out from a big day out, maybe still unsettled with one another due to their arguing?
• Feelings: There's some level of tension in the group.

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Thoughts/Emotions/senses
Jesus:
• OK, here we go … teachable moment!
• Jesus chose to ask "what were you arguing about" not "why were you arguing" or a directive of "can you please STOP ARGUING"
Disciples:
• maybe grumpy/cranky … longer, faster walk than normal in order to get back to base?
• 3 disciples were with Jesus on the Mountain top … saw transfiguration … a superior attitude?
• They may have thought that they were 'sprung' by Jesus in regards to their thoughts
• Tired out from a big day out, maybe still unsettled with one another due to their arguing?
• Feelings: There's some level of tension in the group.

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• Capernaum is on the NW side of Lake Galilee and was the HQ of Jesus' ministry in Galilee … Mark 9 starts with transfiguration on a mountain and, from verse 30, it seems that they may have walked  a significant way as Jesus didn't want to stop on the way the house where they were staying.
• But they would have been used to walking. No public transport as such lol.
• They were in a house.
• The disciples had been arguing.
• Jesus waited to speak privately to them (in the house)

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Choose 1 or 2 of these wisely (TRIM) according to your need, context, or audience. You can't hope to get across all these points in one story.

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• I wonder what the collective response of the crowd was
• I wonder who is he suggesting 'sent' him here to us, to now?
• I wonder what does Jesus mean by saying he was 'sent'?

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• I wonder how the child responded.
• I wonder at what stage Jesus thought to involve a child.
• I wonder what the child's parents thought.
• I wonder how young the child was?
• I wonder what was the 'understanding' or attitude towards children at this time?

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* Add a comment by clicking the 'edit' tag and the top right hand corner of your chosen white box
* At the start of a comment you are adding PLEASE type:
**NEW** … this way we can easily make edits to your contribution if needed.
* If a group is workshopping this story, divide up alphabetically according to the first letter of you first name as indicated above each column. Even up the groups as required. Add to other columns if time permits.
* Mini stories in the larger Bible passage are not necessarily each verse as indicated in the choices made here. Arguably, mini-story 1 & 2 could be combined. Your choice.
* Listed here are the suggestions of participants and, before use in framing a story to be shared, need to be assessed according to a TRIM test:
T = Theologically sound
R = Relevant (or explainable/teachable) to today's context, culture, and experience.
I = Interest … arouse interest for your listeners so they are better able to engage with the story or characters in some way (the way you introduce or tell the story may help, or by asking an 'I wonder' questions.)
M = Meaningful … is it meaningful or of value to both to you and your listeners in your faith journeys.
* 'I wonder' questions are listed BUT … never, ever use all the questions listed. Choose 1 or 2 at most to weave into storytelling as possible ways to engage the listeners. Leaving these questions to the end may also be used to promote some discussion or to check discoveries being made by the listener.

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Responses, your's or character's in the story

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Responses, your's or character's in the story

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Pray and work with God to gather together who God chooses and welcome everyone!

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Responses, your's or character's in the story

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Responses, your's or character's in the story

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• Jesus took the child into his arms rather than just leaving them amongst the disciples. So... yeah. That's like, God takes us in.
• What does this mean for the way we treat children the current context?
• We need to listen to & engage with children

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• I wonder: I wonder if I have been serving others, or just myself?
• I wonder how we can be servants? What does that mean to serve others?
• I wonder why Jesus sat down to talk to them? Custom? Ling day?

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• I wonder how Jesus knew they were arguing?
• I wonder how they felt about being truthful in their responses to Jesus?
• I wonder if it was Jesus' intention to help make peace between his team? Was it to assist in healing of relationships? Was it to teach?

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Responses, your's or character's in the story

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Responses, your's or character's in the story

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• will the listeners accept this teaching?

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Responses, your's or character's in the story

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Responses, your's or character's in the story

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• embarrassment for them, impact of pride, tail between legs

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Responses, your's or character's in the story

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Responses, your's or character's in the story

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Be welcoming, be humble, be helpful. That is greatness.

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Humility and service a hallmarks of Christian discipleship

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It takes humility to be teachable and trust to see Jesus' perspective.

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God loves the world. Use all the resources God gives you to put others first.

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Serving is a true mark of following Jesus or being a disciple of Jesus

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To communicate the importance of serving others as a part of practical leadership

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A great disciple is not one who seeks his own honour, but honours others.  (14 words)

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Be simple to become great

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What we think about ourselves, how important or not important we think we are, does not matter. What matters is who God knows we are. We need to trust His guidance.

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Value is not earned, but gifted from God. Accepting the gift gracefully allows you to get the most from it.

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acceptance has the power to show love and kindness

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Jesus silences the adult's unnecessary words and spotlights the child's essential nature

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In what ways do we make it so difficult for ourselves to follow Jesus's example?

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• Our actions show the posture of our heart towards God
• Jesus is a humble leader, who does not show off his power and authority to others - rather he associates with the lowly and defenceless. We are commanded to be welcoming to the least in our society too
• Jesus hears, sees and knows that people are searching to welcome God into their lives. He's eager responding to us.

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• Jesus notices children

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• Jesus is a big fan of joy and invitation!
• Jesus' words are true; this is a promise
• Evokes a sense of longing for the open welcoming arms of Jesus

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• surprise from the crowd/watchers, Why is Jesus holding a child? What does a child have to do with this??
• a child? amongst us? Children were treated as secondary citizens at the time (But held in higher esteem that in Roman or Greek culture.)
• Jesus shows honour to children and shows how important they are
• child would have sensed comfort, warmth
• Jesus included the child, he brought them in, cared, looked out for them, for us!

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• Jesus spoke a promise

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Jesus:
• chose a child (as an example/visual)
• placed the child in the middle
• took the child in his arms
• spoke to the disciples

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“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

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Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them,

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• Mind blown, a new way of thinking about other people
• Confusion: how can we overcome the Romans by being servants?

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He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.”

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• getting a teaching; no way out of a teaching
• having to deal with what happened and resolve both the situation and the meaning behind it, why they had said what had been said
• They realise that this behaviour in no way pleased Jesus. Such deep shame. Feelings of being like naughty little children
• Outcome: for the disciples - humility (hopefully)
• About to learn about grace!
• Knowing they're about to be taught hard facts
• Outcomes: Maybe the disciples remembered that they still have lots to learn from Jesus

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But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest.

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• Jesus was making the disciples address the issue rather than addressing it himself.

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Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?”